ITALY is “primed and ready” to quit the Brussels bloc and follow Britain out of the European Union after Brexit, a radio caller has claimed.

A radio caller has insisted that Italy is ready to follow Brexit Britain out of the European Union. Speaking on talkRADIO, the caller, known as Geoff, whose wife is Italian, claimed the whole of Italy is “watching” what Britain is doing. He said: “We are very lucky, myself and my wife, to own a second home in Calabria in Italy, my wife is Italian.

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“Her family also, the vast majority of it live between Milan or just over the border in Chiasso in Switzerland.

“We speak to these people all the time. I guarantee one thing. If we leave, Italy will follow instantly. The whole of Italy is watching what we do.

“They are primed and ready. Their newspaper headlines are absolutely stacked with ‘this could work for us too’.”

Radio host Mike Graham stepped in, claiming the crumbling of the Brussels bloc “is absolutely what the EU is terrified of”.

A radio caller claimed Italy would follow Brexit Britain out of the EU (Image: GETTY)

I guarantee one thing. If we leave, Italy will follow instantly

Radio caller

The radio caller added: “The Italians all know that. They are trying to make it difficult.

“I was talking to my wife’s brother the other day, he said he can’t believe how they have bullied us and bullied us to stop us leaving because they know if we leave it will be like the Pied Piper, they will all be going.

“The French are on the same boat, but my wife’s family in Chiasso, they think it is hilarious we ever joined in the first place.”

Earlier this month the Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini boasted that the EU faces a change after the European elections in May.

Claudio Borghi, chairman of the lower house budget committee, suggested that Italy should leave the European Union unless there is a decisive shift toward populist parties in European Parliament elections in May.

Italian 5 Star MP Manlio di Stefano backed the criticism of the bloc claiming the EU had to deal with its “hypocrisy” if Europe wanted to be “saved and protected”.

In an interview earlier this month, Mr Salvini said: “On May 26, Europe is going to change.”

But, Mr Salvini later played down these remarks, claiming that Italy wanted to “change and improve Europe, not abandon it”.

It comes as the UK is negotiating its exit from the European Union with concerns Article 50 could be extended and Brexit delayed if Theresa May’s deal is rejected next month.

MPs will get a chance to vote on Mrs May’s withdrawal agreement, and if it fails will also vote on whether they support a no deal, and then whether they wish to extend Article 50.